RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A Riverside police officer is in the hospital after a pickup truck slammed into his police SUV on a California highway on Saturday afternoon, officials said.

According to a report from KTLA News 5, California authorities were called out to a highway overpass on Saturday when they received reports of a troubled woman who was threatening to jump and kill herself.

“Around 3:08 p.m., officers responded with the California Highway Patrol for a distraught female adult threatening suicide by jumping from the Adams Street overpass at the 91 Freeway. Both directions of the freeway were shut down while the female was in crisis. After over an hour of communications with the subject, officers successfully talked her down and she was safely detained,” a Facebook post from the Riverside Police Department read.

After the officers were successfully able to coax the woman off of the ledge and get her to safety, they were preparing to reopen the roadway, Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback said in a press briefing.

Aftermath of the collision shows the seriousness of the wreck. (Twitter Screenshot)

As they were starting to allow vehicles to come back onto the roadway, witnesses say that a Caltrans pickup truck swerved out of control and collided with the Riverside officer’s police SUV. While the driver of the Caltrans truck was uninjured, police say that their fellow law officer was not as lucky.

The unidentified officer was immediately pulled from the wreckage and was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for his injuries.

Riverside police said that he is in serious, but stable condition.

“The seven-year veteran was taken to a local hospital and is currently in stable condition,” the online post continued. “He will remain there for observation, but his prognosis is good.”

A video that was caught by witnesses at the area seems to show that the driver of the Caltrans truck was heading in the same direction as the Riverside officer before the pickup truck operator seemed to swerve into the path of the oncoming police cruiser, potentially while making a U-turn or attempting to go from the left lane over to the right shoulder.

As he turned, the officer slammed on his brakes, but screeching tires and a loud collision can be heard in the video that was captured at the scene.

While the cause and details of the crash are continuing to be investigated, officers are praying that their fellow officer pulls through and makes a full recovery.

About The Author

The staff of Law Enforcement Today is comprised of career cops. Cumulatively we possess nearly a century of experience in the business of police work. Our backgrounds derive from the East Coast, West Coast, South and Upper Midwest. We are the voice of law enforcement, connecting with our readers throughout the entire country and uniting the Blue Family. We have our finger on the pulse of American law enforcement and endlessly support our brothers and sisters who hold the Thin Blue Line.